Women mourning that their children have drifted away from the Church are praying for the intercession of a saint and mother well-acquainted with their heartbreak.
The Millions of Monicas ministry at Saint Gianna Beretta Molla Parish, Northfield, is one of a number of chapters nationwide where mothers, grandmothers, godmothers and aunts meet weekly to pray that their loved ones will return to full unity with the Catholic Church. The ministry began in 2021 in Grand Rapids, Mich., and now includes groups in New Jersey as well as Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
The ministry has as its patroness Saint Monica, whose prayer and example led her pagan husband and mother-in-law to Christianity, and her son, Saint Augustine, to his conversion. Monica is the patron saint of conversion, married women and mothers.
“There is tremendous comfort in coming together with other women,” said Christy Wimberg, who started the chapter in Saint Gianna Beretta Molla. “We don’t want to betray our loved ones in any way by telling their story, but we need to do something with this pain. I believe this pain is to impel us to fight for them. … [We] know the key is in the faith we tried so desperately to instill in them. It is the answer.”
Gatherings take place in the church sanctuary, while the Blessed Sacrament resides in the tabernacle, for an hour of Scriptural reading, prayer, intercession and the recitation of the Rosary. No sensitive information, including names of the participants, have to be shared, say ministry leaders, adding that Millions of Monicas is not a support or self-help group.
“One of the most powerful parts of the hour is when we spend time in small groups praying for each other’s children,” Wimberg said. “One woman holds a crucifix, and the group spends time praying for her child, then the crucifix changes hands to the next woman. We become so connected through this intimate prayer that I’ll never not be able to pray for your child again.”
Carol Schnepp, a parishioner in Saint Maximilian Kolbe, Marmora, discovered the group through word of mouth. The mother of four adult children, some of whom have drifted from the Church, said, “I love the peaceful meetings, how they are very structured with lighting and soft music, and all people there praying for the same reason.”
Ending each meeting with the recitation of the Rosary “gives me a peaceful heart,” Schnepp continued.
Lisa Carlton, a member of the host parish, called the gatherings “a soul searching, beautiful, reflective time during the week to sincerely pray for the child that is on your heart in the company of other women who share the same values as you. I find this hour to be therapeutic and a perfect opportunity to quietly and outwardly praise God for all of the children in our lives.”
Group members who wish to remain anonymous to protect their loved ones’ identities also shared their motivation to attend the meetings.
Mary P. observed, “We have heard the saying that there is power in numbers. We can feel [God’s] presence when we unite our voices in lifting up our children to God in prayer. … We know that we are making a difference not only within our own families, but the lives of other people.”
Noted Alicia C., “Having Millions of Monicas on the calendar gives me a way to more deliberately make time to lift them up in prayer in a very specific way and to refocus on trusting God and knowing he has the plan. … Being with other faith-filled women in prayer with a saint who knows so well the deep sorrow of having a child who has separated himself from God and/or left the faith is a consolation. It is also helpful to be reminded by others that, as Catholics, there is always hope.”
For more information on the Millions of Monica ministry, visit millionsofmonicas.com. To learn more about the Millions of Monica at Saint Gianna Beretta Molla Parish, email stgiannas.millionsofmonicas@gmail.com.
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